


Spooky Shorts

by disapppear



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, cant forget vampires, halloween themed, inktober-ish, witches and warlocks and all that spooky jazz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-07-23 16:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disapppear/pseuds/disapppear
Summary: A collection of short stories related to Halloween and involving Infinite.(aka a writer's version of inktober)





	1. brewing potions and keeping anxiety at bay

**Author's Note:**

> i am SO EXCITED for halloween. I'm so excited that I thought last month was October instead of September. anyways, instead of inktober, i was thinking of doing a writing thing for october instead, but using the inktober prompts. kinda. i haven't looked at the prompts yet. we'll see if i can keep up every day xD i don't think i'll be able to, but i'll try to write something at least every week. 
> 
> also, i love the fact that the hardest part of publishing a story for me is coming up with a title. i always struggle with this and half the time i just tell myself to wing it and come up with a lame title. BUT IM SO EXCITED FOR HALLOWEEN THAT I DONT EVEN CARE!!! YAYAYAYAYAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myungsoo makes a potion while Sunggyu has a mini-crisis.

“Ok, all I need is a handful of gnats, four mushrooms, and a dead mouse.”

Sunggyu looks at Myungsoo like he’s crazy. That’s because he is, but Sunggyu won’t tell that to his face, in fear of what kind of spells he’ll cast behind his back. Which Myungsoo would never, but Sunggyu doesn’t know that because he just met him like, five days ago. 

Myungsoo is a wizard. Witch. Whatever. Someone who has a black cauldron in their basement and the inside of it glows green with fog lifting up from the base of the pot. Sunggyu doesn’t know what witches do exactly, but he knows not to mess with them. 

“That’s all you need? Nothing else?” Sunggyu asks hesitantly. Myungsoo freezes from where he’s throwing in spices (some earwax, a few herbs, fingernail clippings) and Sunggyu tenses up a bit. Before he can ask what he said or did wrong, Myungsoo tilts his head and says, “Nope. I think that’s all I need for this potion to work.”

“What’s this potion used for, again?” Sunggyu asks, hoping Myungsoo doesn’t say something cryptic like “curiosity killed the cat” or whatever. The first time he said that, Sunggyu felt chills run down his spine. 

“Depends on my mood,” he says, twisting his mouth, “It’s a pretty basic potion, almost all the witches know this one. But the way you use it and the person you use it on differs.”

Which makes… no sense, but again, Sunggyu isn’t a witch so he doesn’t know. 

“I need it now, though, if we want to do something with it,” Myungsoo says, this time looking up at Sunggyu directly in the eyes. He can see a dull orange glow behind the witch’s irises. It’s a request this time, not a suggestion. Sunggyu nods.

A while later, after searching in little shops around the city, Sunggyu brings back the ingredients Myungsoo needs. The witch gives him a smile, a dimple poking out from his cheek. 

“Thank youuuu,” Myungsoo sings, plopping the dead mouse into the frothing pot. He tosses in the mushrooms and sprinkles the gnats in one by one until they’re all swirling in the pot.

As it cooks, Sunggyu fiddles with his hands a little bit, unsure of what to do. His worries linger in the back of his mind, how Sungyeol is still missing, along with the other humans. Hoya’s gone to visit the sea goddess for the time being, hoping to find some answers for what, Sunggyu doesn’t know. He’s the only one who hasn’t been dragged into this whole mess, and probably the only one who can find some answers, and Sunggyu can’t get ahold of him. Myungsoo is… Myungsoo. Sunggyu doesn’t know him well enough to know if he’s a friend or foe - all the witches that Sunggyu has come across have ruined him somehow, so he has a reason to feel uneasy around him.  
All Sunggyu knows is that he’s alone and honestly, a bit scared. Of what, he doesn’t know, and that’s what’s frustrating him the most. 

Then he feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist and suddenly Myungsoo is whispering something into Sunggyu’s ear, making him feel a little more at ease. He can’t even comprehend the words, but they offer some peace and tranquility, and Sunggyu is grateful for that. 

Myungsoo unwraps his arms and gently turns Sunggyu around to face him. He cocks his head to the side, giving him a small smile. 

“You should probably get some rest. It’s been a long day,” Myungsoo says gently, his eyes glowing a soft blue. 

It’s another spell, Sunggyu thinks. Myungsoo is putting another spell on him. But honestly, Sunggyu is just so tired he gives in and lets Myungsoo put him to sleep. 

And when he wakes up, well rested and feeling energized enough to take on the world, Myungsoo doesn’t say anything. He just smiles and offers Sunggyu a cup of tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO READER. thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it, and i hope you have a wonderful october, and that you're as excited for halloween as i am. and if you don't celebrate halloween, i hope you have fun anyways! happy autumn!


	2. Poisonous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongwoo and Sungjong are stuck in prison, and Woohyun is who knows where. They all try to break out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAY TWO OF HALLOWEEN. I love October.
> 
> This is unedited, mainly because I am trying to write every day but also I'm trying to keep up with homework thanks to university. :D I love it when my inspiration sparks at the beginning of the academic year haha :'))) it's been pretty much 2 years since I had motivation to write, so I'm gonna try to write as much as I can until my motivation decides to take another vacation :P

It’s been a few days, and Dongwoo is seriously considering drinking whatever the guards brought in. He doesn’t know what it is - clearly not water, since it looks red. Maybe it’s blood, but its consistency isn’t that of blood. It’s more watery than it is thick. 

He’s been stuck inside this jailhouse for simply three days. He hasn’t been able to see Sungjong, and he doesn’t even know where Woohyun is. They both were jailed along with him, but Woohyun was dragged away by the others to who knows where. Sungjong, thankfully, is beside him in another cell nearby, though, which gives him some peace of mind. 

They can’t speak to one another, the cellmates. The first time Sungjong and Dongwoo tried to do that, just to fill up the silence, they were both threatened to get their throats slit. Dongwoo rubs his neck now, feeling goosebumps creep onto his skin. It’s terrifying being here. 

But the guards have been decent enough to bring them food to eat… except Dongwoo doesn’t think the guards know that he and Sungjong are both human, so they’re served with food that only magical beings, like elves or ogres or nymphs, eat. 

Honestly, Dongwoo doesn’t know what kind of creature drinks a red, watery substance, but he figures it might as well be worth a shot. 

“Break time,” one of the guards grunts, and the others growl and snarl their way out. There’s only three guards, and all three of them walk out for a mini break. Dongwoo doesn’t think they’re clever enough to switch off every couple of hours, but it works out for him, so he’s thankful.

“Hey Jjongie, do you think I should drink this?” Dongwoo whispers, just loud enough for Sungjong to hear. He’s on the other side of the wall, so Dongwoo hasn’t been able to see him since they came in a few days ago. 

“Sungjong,” Dongwoo says, not hearing back from the younger one. “Lee Sungjong, are you listening?”

Sungjong groans, but it sounds more like a whine. That’s the only response he gives though, and Dongwoo reaches his hand out through his cell and waves to Sungjong. 

“Give me a sign you’re ok, Jjongie,” he urges, his stomach twisting.

“Don’t… drink it,” Sungjong gasps. “I think it’s poison.”

“What? Sungjong, did you drink it?” Dongwoo asks, fear lacing his voice. 

Sungjong mumbles a small “yes” and Dongwoo almost crumples. 

“Why?” Dongwoo looks for a way to get to Sungjong. It’s only a matter of time that the guards come back to their stations. 

“I was hungry…”

There’s some clattering outside, along with a few thuds and thumps, and suddenly Woohyun is bursting in through the door, his eyes wide and looking like a crazed man. Dongwoo has never been so happy to see him. 

“Woohyun, get Sungjong. He’s sick,” Dongwoo yells, gripping so hard on the cell bars that his knuckles turn white. Woohyun runs for Sungjong’s cell and opens the door with a set of keys, doing the same to Dongwoo’s quickly and efficiently. 

“We need to get out of here now. There’s not much time left,” Woohyun says as Dongwoo picks Sungjong up off the floor and carries him on his back. 

“Hold on tight, Jjongie,” Dongwoo whispers. Sungjong tightens his grip on Dongwoo’s shoulders, and they’re off. 

They run towards the door, and only now does Dongwoo see the gruesome guards laying on the floor, covered in their own blood. Woohyun’s handiwork. 

They run through the hallways and exit through the back of the prison, finding the nearest forest to dash into. 

They find a forest nymph, one of the few still living there, and plead her to help Sungjong. 

She obeys, in exchange for a promise that they take her with them. 

Woohyun is about to agree when Dongwoo asks, “Why?”

As she feeds Sungjong an orange vial, she looks up at the two humans with the saddest eyes Dongwoo has ever seen and says, “I have been stuck here my entire life. I am lonely. My friends and family have all deserted me and I would like to start a new path with my life. Take me with you, and I will help in any way I can.” 

Dongwoo understands. He remembers feeling broken and helpless when his own family discarded him for being human. As a human in a magical world, you’re left behind. Sungjong found him in an alley one day, and since then, they have stuck together through everything. It’s why Dongwoo can’t lose him. He found a new family with Sungjong, and Dongwoo thinks that maybe this forest nymph needs a new family, too. He doesn’t know whether to trust her, though. Every magical being he’s come across has wanted to kill him. 

The forest nymph looks at Sungjong, a small smile forming on her lips. 

“He’s strong willed. Strong minded. He will survive,” she says, pushing a few stray hair strands away from Sungjong’s eyes. She flows in the way she moves, every touch more graceful than the last. Dongwoo takes a deep breath and lets it out. 

He looks at Woohyun, making sure he’s okay with it, and when he nods, Dongwoo says, “you’re welcome to join us.” 

It’s taken a lot for Dongwoo to say these words. He only hopes it won’t bite him back later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello wonderful reader. Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.


	3. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sungyeol has an annoying ghost on his tail. Let Sungyeol live for once, gosh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi it's late and im tired. there's a theme of tiredness in this lil shorts series, isn't there? xD
> 
> once again, unedited. it's technically the third of october and i'll have no time tomorrow (I guess today, now xD) to do it, so that's why i'm doing it now. probably not the best thing to do, but im enjoying this whole thing so :P

The lights start flickering again, and it’s only the third week of living in this house. Sungyeol has had enough. 

“Can you please just leave me alone now?” Sungyeol sighs. “I’m tired. Either you come up with better ways to scare me or find another human to haunt,” he says, sipping his third cup of coffee for the day. He has a report to file in tonight and it’s honestly taken him too long to finish it. The ghost haunting him isn’t really helping much. 

The flickering stops, and Sungyeol breathes out. Finally he can focus on his work. 

The ghost doesn’t come back until a few days after. This time, it’s angry. Sungyeol’s kitchen is a mess, pots and pans scattered everywhere when he comes home after a long day, and his wooden utensils arranged in a weird circle pattern. 

“I love coming back home to a messy wife,” Sungyeol says dryly, shrugging off his bag and cleaning everything back up. “Pick up after yourself, would you? I just had to deal with a shitty manager and his stupid minions who just so happen to be my co-workers. Why don’t you go haunt them instead?”

The light flickers on and off again, and Sungyeol grumbles under his breath. “Making my electricity bill go up the roof,” he mutters, finally putting the last few wooden utensils away. Now he could get started on his daily report. 

The lights flickered on and off for a good five minutes until the ghost supposedly gave up, and Sungyeol could focus on his work. 

The day after, Sungyeol’s office drawers were open, paper strewn all over his desk space. There was one paper that stood out though, with black ink scribbled over it. 

Sungyeol wasn’t surprised to read it, only to find out that the ghost was not only a male, but he used to live in this apartment before people moved in and didn’t like how the new tenants ripped apart his walls and threw out his old furniture and removed his memories one by one. 

Sungyeol thinks that maybe the ghost is just nostalgic and wants something to reminisce about. It’s his day off today, so he goes and searches up stuff on the internet and finds how the apartment looked like during the ghost’s time. It wasn’t too far back, it seems. 

Sungyeol visits a furniture and home improvement store and gathers a few materials to style up the apartment a bit more. Sungyeol is more minimalist than others - he doesn’t like clutter or things that won’t matter to him in a few months, so he’s learned to throw unnecessary things away. But it seems like the ghost wasn’t anything like that, so he gathers up a few plants and repaints the walls and looks around some thrift shops to find some trinkets he can keep around the apartment.   
He gets finished a week later (a week later than he intends to) but it’s done and he’s ok with it. He has plants lying around to spruce things up, along with some nice oil paintings he found in some of the shops he looked at. There’s even a new cutlery and dining set with engraving on the side that looks like the ones the ghost used to make. 

Another week passes and no word (or flickering of the lights) from the ghost. Maybe he’s left him alone, now. Sungyeol is kind of glad. 

Until he finds his home office a complete mess again. This time, the ghost has written that he had a cat he used to like that came by every once in awhile. It was a black one, and it looked like a stray. 

Sungyeol sighs. He’s never taken care of a cat before. But if the ghost leaves him alone, then it’s good enough for him. 

So he goes to a local animal shelter and asks around for a local stray black cat, and there’s… a lot of them. More than a lot. Sungyeol can’t adopt a lot. He wants to adopt just one. 

So he brings home a hairless cat. It was deemed unadoptable, and the cat was free. So Sungyeol decided why not, and brought the cat home. Names him Jereumi, because why not. 

He gets used to the cat quickly, and finds that taking care of another being is actually pretty cool, so he’s having the time of his life in his quiet, spruced up apartment with his hairless cat and a ghost who doesn’t seem to want to leave him alone. Yeah, it pretty much sums up Sungyeol’s adventurous life. 

“Jereumiiiii, where are youuu?” Sungyeol sings, searching for his hairless cat one day. He ducks his head under the bed and finds a crumpled note, scribbles all over it. He takes it and unfolds it, reading what it says. 

Except he can’t because it’s written with such bad handwriting, not to mention the fact that the scribbles themselves have actually just been crossed out multiple times. 

So he tosses it back under the bed, pretending never to have seen it. Maybe the ghost still needs time to sort out what he wants to say to Sungyeol, or something. 

He calls one of his friends, Dongwoo, over one day, and the dude is terrified of stepping foot into Sungyeol’s house. 

“Chill out, Dongwoo, the ghost has been pretty nice to me as of late, so nothing bad will happen to you,” he says, pushing Dongwoo into his apartment. 

“B-but Sungyeol…” Dongwoo says, eyes wide, “You’ve changed so much since I last saw you.” 

Well. This was unexpected. “What do you mean?”

“You look different. Your face looks paler, and you seem thinner. Have you been eating at all?”

Worry is planted in Sungyeol’s mind now. He goes to work the next day, feeling anxious, and still exhausted. 

“Hey, Lee Sungyeol. Have you written up the task report yet? It’s due at our next meeting… which is in a half hour. Speed it up,” his co-worker, Woohyun, says. Annoying lazy bum. All he ever does is sit at his computer and scroll through dating apps instead of doing his work. 

Sungyeol pushes his round glasses up on the bridge of his nose, cracks his fingers, and gets back to work, clacking his keyboard furiously to finish this report. 

He comes home that day and passes out, mainly from exhaustion. 

Sungyeol wakes up to Jereumi licking his face, and he hears the door to his apartment open. It’s still dark outside, which means the person is either a burglar or a murderer. Honestly, Sungyeol wishes whoever it is just takes him too. He can’t take this anymore. 

Instead, the person comes in and helps Sungyeol to his room, slips him under the covers and tucks him in like a baby. Meanwhile, Sungyeol is half asleep, muttering something no one can understand. 

“Sleep well, Sungyeol, you deserve it,” he hears a familiar voice, and then he’s out like a light. 

The next day, Sungyeol finds Dongwoo on his couch in the living room. Surprised, Sungyeol asks him how he came here. Sungyeol never gave him the passcode to unlock his door, and Dongwoo nearly never wants to step inside his apartment, thanks to the ghost. 

“I just wanted to bring you some company, Sungyeol,” he grins, patting beside him. “Come sit down and have breakfast with me, I’d like to have a chat with you.”

They talk for a while, and Sungyeol senses something different, but he doesn’t ask. It’s nice to have someone here to talk to. It gets lonely for a while. Dongwoo has already made him feel better by simply being here. 

A while later, after the conversation starts to lull, Dongwoo looks at Sungyeol, like really looks at him, and says, “It was nice to meet you. I’m glad I got the chance to talk to you, my dear friend.”

He takes Sungyeol’s hand in his own and pats it once, twice, his lips curling into a smile. “I wish that you won’t be lonely anymore. Invite more of your friends over, and take time off from work. I used to be like that, and it didn’t turn out too well.” He looks a bit sad, but it quickly goes away, and he looks at Sungyeol with pride. 

“Take care of Jereumi, and most importantly yourself. Your health comes first.”

A second passes by and Sungyeol thinks Dongwoo might as well have just gone crazy. “Dongwoo, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Of course. Don’t mind me. I’m just a little tired. I was too busy worrying about you last night after you wouldn’t pick up my calls. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll take a short nap and see you again when I wake up.”

“Whatever floats your boat, Dongwoo,” Sungyeol shrugs. “I’ll call in sick today, it’s the least I could do after last night. Sorry about that, by the way. I never meant to scare you or anything like that.”

Dongwoo hums, closing his eyes and resting his head against the back of the couch. 

And Sungyeol watches Dongwoo sleep, and watches him wake up feeling disoriented, as if everything that just happened felt like a dream. And Sungyeol knows, knows that the ghost that seemed to haunt him really was looking out for his best interest at heart.

The lights stopped flickering a long time ago, and the scattered papers don’t appear anymore. What’s new is that his co-workers and manager all seem to be losing sleep over odd things happening inside their homes, and Sungyeol thinks it may be the ghost has moved on from haunting him and now goes after the ones who wronged him instead. Sungyeol could get used to this. 

The crumpled note still lies where it is, and Sungyeol lied, he knew what the note said, despite the scribble scrabble all over it. It’ll just have to be their secret.


	4. A Flickering Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sungjong likes candles. It reminds him of his childhood and helps him meet Myungsoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> titles for this included Flame of Hope which sounds like a rollercoaster ride. except Hope would be replaced with Doom and it would be a ride at Busch Gardens or something. anyways, hope you like it <3 i'm still busy but this week has been pretty good so i've been on top of this! can't speak much for the future though xD

Sungjong loves lighting candles in the dark. It’s what he used to do as a child, back when his parents were waiting for his magical powers to kick in. He strikes a match, watching the orange flame come alive, and he places it onto the wick, letting it burn. Blowing out the match, he keeps his eyes on the flame now, smelling the fresh scent fill the room. 

Over the years, he’s gone through countless types of candles. Tall ones, scented ones, colorful ones, ones that looked like a flower. His favorites are the ones in a glass jar. Those he kept, and he still remembers the memories attached to it. His friends had given candles to him every year on his birthday.

There’s only one candle he hasn’t lit, and it’s the one his parents got him the last year he was with them. 

He doesn’t look at that one, keeps it tucked inside a drawer. He doesn’t want to remember the memories, and he doesn’t want the scent to remind him of what happened that day. 

It doesn’t stop the nightmares he gets though. 

There’s times the vivid images enter his mind, yelling, screaming, glass breaking, pushing, shoving, all of it happening at once, again and again. He wakes up, gasping, gripping his bed sheets so tightly that his knuckles are white. It takes time for him to get his hammering heart back to normal and his breathing to even out, but it does, and he goes back to sleep. Or he tries. The effort counts. 

Myungsoo comes over often, and he knows when something is wrong. He knows that Sungjong’s birth parents kicked him out for being powerless, for being the disappointment in the family, while his younger brother seemed to have soaked up all the magic for his own. It wasn’t fair, it never was, and for the longest time, Sungjong resented his younger brother, who seemed to get all the attention from his parents. 

And Myungsoo knows that when Sungjong’s younger brother became ill, very very ill, Sungjong wished it was him. All the times he ignored his brother, all the times he broke his toys, all the times he refused to play with him, Sungjong regretted it all. Despite everything, he still loved his little brother, loved having someone who seemed to be the only one on his side, and then... he was gone. 

The day his brother died, Sungjong was kicked out, left in the dark. Whatever he could fit in a sack was thrown out with him, and he had nowhere to go. 

He sold matchsticks by the bridge, the only way he could earn something. No one wanted them, of course, because why buy matchsticks when you could easily start a flame with a snap of your fingers?

It was then that Myungsoo came along (on his broomstick, nonetheless) and offered him a candle. It was getting colder, too, and Sungjong didn’t seem to have any other clothes than the ones on his back. 

It wasn’t until Sungjong fell sick too, that Myungsoo took him in. It was somewhat fitting, with Myungsoo’s parents also being human. It was like a perfect little family. 

As they got older, though, it got more difficult. Sungjong would get panic attacks often, and Myungsoo had to learn how to help him breathe in and out. Candles would help though. Focusing on the flame helped Sungjong relax, and if that was the solution, then so be it. 

Myungsoo bought him a bundle of candles for his birthday that year. Different colors and scents ranging from vanilla to pumpkin spice to cinnamon. Soon, the candles illuminated Sungjong’s room enough that he didn’t need his lamp anymore. 

Sometimes, just for the fun of it, Myungsoo enters Sungjong’s room early in the morning and lights up Sungjong’s favorite candles so he can wake up to the scent. Sungjong always gives him a hug at the table when they eat breakfast together. 

Sungjong lives by himself now, but it’s nice to know that Myungsoo comes by every so often to check up on him. 

But sometimes it becomes too much, and Sungjong feels like he’s being suffocated. Sungjong feels like an imposter when he’s with Myungsoo sometimes, a fake brother, even though the older one has told him plenty of times that he’s not. It doesn’t stop the fear and anxiety he gets when he’s alone with his thoughts in the middle of the night. 

Myungsoo gives him the space he needs, but he also makes sure that someone is keeping an eye on him, and he sends Dongwoo around a few times to make sure Sungjong’s eating and sleeping. He brings a candle with him during those times, and the warmth from the candle and Dongwoo’s laughter is enough. 

Once, Dongwoo opens up the drawer and finds the candle that Sungjong has carried all these years. He asks him about it, but Sungjong doesn’t make a sound. Dongwoo decides to hand it over to him so he can light it, but it ends up falling to the ground, shattering. 

Sungjong cracks that day too. He screams and sobs until he loses his voice and the tears dry up, and then he goes to sleep because it’s exhausting to let everything out all at once.

And when Myungsoo comes over, Sungjong shuffles over to his brother and wraps him in a tight hug, burying his face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. He’s just as tall as Myungsoo now, and it’s crazy to think that they’ve grown so much. Myungsoo gently rubs his back and hums. Sungjong doesn’t let go for a long, long time. 

And when he does, Myungsoo breaks out into a big smile and tells him to get dressed, they’re going out. And for now - Sungjong thinks - for now, things will be okay.


	5. setting boundaries with a vampire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu's a vampire and Woohyun is well, a human. They're in love with each other. Living together is a struggle, and there are certain things that can't be crossed. Here's a glimpse into their life as a couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spooky SHORTS? this started out as one, but uhhh it became much longer than it needed to be... so I'm making it into a few parts. so whoever is reading this, i'm gonna be uploading this thing for a few days with vampire woogyu because I don't want to NOT upload you know? xD i want to show what i've been writing these past few days!
> 
> also im a ball of stress right now but i feel so stupid because i feel like there's nothing to be worried about. but there's a lot of things happening this week and im like lowkey freaking out. anyways, thanks for reading! hope you enjoy the chapter <3
> 
> OH ALSO before I forget: there's a lot of angst involved! i guess spoiler alert- lots of tears, kissing, and comfort involved. idk if that counts as spoilers but im gonna tell you anyway just in case. there's happy moments involved too, though, just so u know >.> this is getting way too long, i'll let you read now xD

Sunggyu can smell the garlic on Woohyun before he even enters their bedroom. He almost vomits at the scent, covering his mouth and blinking back the tears in his eyes. 

“God Woohyun, that smell is revolting,” he gags. 

“Oh really?” Woohyun sniffs his shirt, feigning innocence, “I didn’t know there was garlic in my food.”

It’s a lie, and Sunggyu knows it. He knows Woohyun had a meeting tonight with some really important people and Sunggyu didn’t want him to go because he was selfish and wanted his boyfriend all to himself. Woohyun probably got the deal, like Sunggyu thought he would, and he celebrated by having his favorite pasta, which happens to have every bit of it drenched in a garlic sauce. Just to spite him. Sunggyu glares at Woohyun as he walks into their closet, takes his pajamas, and throws an “I’ll be on the couch” over his shoulder. 

Sunggyu hates that he loves Woohyun so much. He ends up plugging his nose with some tissues and runs after Woohyun, giving him a quick goodnight kiss on his cheek. 

Then he brushes his teeth a million times, hoping he gets the smell off of him. It’s not his fault garlic transfers so easily. 

And not only does the smell catch on everything, it STAYS. The smell just lingers in their apartment, on the couch, on Woohyun’s clothes, on Woohyun. And Sunggyu gets nothing for a week. Fantastic. 

~

On a good day, Woohyun comes home at noon on a Saturday, and they decide to go out together. Today, it’s an exceptionally good day, because Woohyun tells him to wear something nice and brings him to a really beautiful park. The grass is greener than Sunggyu has ever seen, and there’s the sound of children laughing as they chase each other around the trees. The cool breeze ruffles Woohyun’s hair, making Sunggyu want to run his hands through it. 

They lay down their blanket and munch on the food they brought along with them. It’s peaceful, and they chat about boring things like Woohyun’s job and exciting things, like how Sunggyu has learned how to photoshop a fish head onto a human. It’s amazing, or at least Sunggyu thinks so. Woohyun thinks it’s lame. What does he know. 

Then they see someone drawing people for just a few bucks, and Woohyun wants to try it. So they wait their turn and sit down, smiling brightly for the artist, and once she’s finished, she shows them the result. 

Sunggyu almost lashes at her with his fangs, but not before Woohyun grabs his wrist and gives him The Look. As in “Sunggyu, if you dare to even touch her, I am going to tear you to pieces and feed you to the wolves.”

So Sunggyu holds back, only for Woohyun. Even if his eyes look too small in the photo and his teeth make him look like a giant hamster, it’s fine. 

(Sunggyu later finds out they’re supposed to be “caricatures”. It’s not Sunggyu’s fault that he hasn’t seen himself in the mirror in a few centuries.)

~

The first time Sunggyu morphs into a bat, Woohyun nearly loses his mind. After Sunggyu transforms back, a week later, Woohyun grumbles about giving him a warning or something. 

It only happens when Sunggyu gets very sick though. He’s had days when he’s coughed and hacked his lungs back up because the food he ate wasn’t properly filtered. There’s been times where he’d lose motivation to go on with his life, the endless life he’s cursed to deal with, all because of a stupid mistake. 

And there are days when he gets injured, when he gets hurt, when he feels worthless, when the world seems to be too loud and he just wants to flip the switch off and go back to sleep because it’s too much. 

And Woohyun notices after a while. He gets it. Sometimes Sunggyu wants to be left alone, but other times he just needs someone to be in the same room as him so he doesn’t feel as lonely. 

This time, Woohyun comes home and instead of finding Sunggyu sleeping in their bed, he finds a bat curled up in Sunggyu’s space. This time, though, Sunggyu looks more like himself than he does a bat. He has his black wings, but still. 

It’s a transition phase, Woohyun’s learned. Half bat, half human. He doesn’t know whether Sunggyu wants to go full bat mode or just stay like this in bed for a while. So Woohyun comes over and snuggles up closer to him, nuzzling his face in between Sunggyu’s shoulder blades. It’s a while before Sunggyu speaks. 

“Woohyun?”

He hums, wrapping his arms a bit more snugly around the other’s waist. There’s a beat of silence before Sunggyu continues. 

“Do you love me?”

“Yes,” he answers simply, pressing his lips on Sunggyu’s thin cotton shirt, hoping the warmth seeps through and brushes against his cool skin. He feels Sunggyu relax a bit. 

“...why?”

Because you’re _you_ , you idiot, Woohyun thinks. Except he knows Sunggyu won’t take comfort in that answer, so he thinks harder. 

“Because you’re funny,” he says after a few seconds. Sunggyu wriggles around at that, turning around to face Woohyun, looking puzzled. Woohyun notices him tucking his wings away. He sees it as a good sign. 

“How?”

“Like, you still don’t really understand hashtags or filters on photos. You know when I take photos of you and you smile really big, but then you see that you have bunny ears or something? It’s just a feature on the phone, but you’re worried you actually grew bunny ears. It’s cute. You’re cute,” Woohyun says, pecking Sunggyu on the nose with his lips. “I like messing with you.” 

Even in the dark, Woohyun can tell Sunggyu is avoiding looking him in the eye. Instead, Sunggyu seems to be fascinated with the blanket, since he keeps wrapping it around his hand.

“Aren’t you scared? Of me,” and he says the last part so softly that Woohyun almost misses it. Woohyun shifts his weight on the bed, wondering how to phrase his response.

“Sometimes,” he settles. He’s being honest, and he doesn’t want Sunggyu to feel like he has to tiptoe around Woohyun because he lied to him. “Every so often, I do get scared.”

Sunggyu nods silently at that, keeping his eyes on the blanket. His wings flutter softly in the back for a bit, across his arms too. 

“What scares you about me.” It’s the softest that Woohyun has ever heard Sunggyu speak. 

“The look in your eyes when you hunt,” Woohyun says. As an afterthought he adds, “You know, it’s actually kind of sexy now that I think about it. Like lust, but it’s just your way of telling me you’re hungry. You know what I look like when I’m hungry? An angry rhino.”

Sunggyu laughs wetly at that, and Woohyun smiles fondly at him. He reaches across and wipes the tears falling down Sunggyu’s cheeks, leaning forward to press another kiss on his forehead. Sunggyu is shaking, just the tiniest bit, and Woohyun tries to ignore the ache in his chest. Woohyun loves him so much (so so much), and he wants to hold Sunggyu until all the sadness and anger and pain he keeps inside of him disappears. 

“I love you,” Sunggyu mutters, burrowing his head into the crook of Woohyun’s shoulder. Woohyun pets his hair for a while, waiting for him to calm down. And before Woohyun falls asleep, he whispers the same words back to him. 

~

Before Woohyun and Sunggyu started liking each other, Woohyun used to date. So, he would use these random dating apps and go on a few dates with people. If it turned out well, he would keep going out with the person so they could potentially make it official that they’re together. 

But once Sunggyu came into his life, Woohyun lost all interest in dating. The only problem was that he forgot to delete the apps on his phone. 

And so one day, Sunggyu wanted to play his favorite game on Woohyun’s phone, a jumping game, or whatever it was called. FroggyJump or something? He doesn’t know. Either way, he asked Woohyun for his phone, and Woohyun sighed, muttering about getting Sunggyu himself a phone before handing it over to him. 

And so, Sunggyu was searching around the phone, trying to find the game, when he came across Cupid’s Cove, MatchMakers, and Panthr. All filed in a folder titled Dating Apps. And he almost shattered the device in his hands. 

He snaps his head over to Woohyun, giving him the angriest looking glare in the world. So much that Woohyun actually shifts away from Sunggyu, giving him a puzzled look. “What?”

“What is this?” Sunggyu says curtly. Woohyun looks at the screen, his mouth forming an “o”. He gives a sheepish smile, and when Sunggyu stares back with no emotion on his face, Woohyun’s smile fades. He clears his throat. 

“Those are just things from before I met you,” he says. “I forgot to delete them…”

“You… forgot? How could you forget when I’m here and available for you every second of the day?”

“I just got busy. We got busy,” Woohyun supplies. “I don’t even look at them anymore.” And just then, his phone decided to send him a notification that said “You have 100+ messages from some potential suitors! Check ‘em out!”

Yeah, it wasn’t really off to a great start. 

“Sunggyuuu,” Woohyun whines when Sunggyu simply tosses his his phone back. “It was just a notification, it shows that I haven’t been on it for a long time, that’s it.”

Sunggyu doesn’t say anything, just gets up from the couch and walks away, ignoring Woohyun. Woohyun follows after him, into the kitchen. He sighs, and Sunggyu turns around. 

“Then why haven’t you deleted them?”

“Because I forgot about them, I told you!” Woohyun urges, his shoulders slumping. He’s desperately hoping that Sunggyu understands. He’s been the one for him ever since Woohyun laid his eyes on him. 

“How would I know? I just found them today, who knows if you’ve been hiding it from me?”

“Hiding WHAT?”

“The fact that you might still be talking to your exes? Maybe you miss them, I don’t know!” Sunggyu seethes. 

“What?” Woohyun has no idea what’s happening at this point. “Sunggyu, what are you talking about.”

“Or maybe you’re trying to show off how many boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever you had before I came along.”

Woohyun scoffs. “Is that what this is about? My past relationships? What about you, huh? You’ve outlived any person I know, I’m sure you’ve had endless relationships before we got together,” he says, fuming, “How many people have you said ‘I love you’ too?”

Sunggyu’s eyes widen in shock. “That is not the same. Don’t you dare compare me with what you’re doing.”

“What AM I doing? Can you tell me? Because I don’t even know,” Woohyun says, exasperated.

“You’re lying to me. Maybe to make me feel better because you don’t love me anymore. Maybe you’re getting tired of me.”

So this stems from his insecurity. Woohyun sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When have I ever lied to you? Tell me right now, and I’ll beg you for forgiveness. I swear on my life, I have been honest with you since we met.”

“Are you cheating on me?”

“No,” Woohyun says firmly. “And if you think I’m the kind of person who would do that kind of thing to someone I love, then you don’t know me at all, Sunggyu.”

Woohyun can barely catch the emotion that flashes across Sunggyu’s face before he transforms into a bat and flies out through one of their windows.

It was then that Woohyun realizes this situation had happened before to Sunggyu. Sunggyu had mentioned about it just once before, and there were so many signs, things Sunggyu had said or done, that Woohyun had missed. 

Sunggyu doesn’t return for a long, long time. 

When he does, though, he shuffles in through the door, takes one look at Woohyun, and immediately rushes forward to embrace him, muttering apologies. 

“I’m sorry for leaving, I’m sorry for thinking you cheated, I’m sorry for yelling at you, I’m sorry for-”

“What are you talking about, it was my fault from the beginning, I’m sorry,” Woohyun says, tears pricking his eyes, “I should’ve deleted those things, I’m sorry for bringing up bad memories, I’m so sorry.”

And they make up and talk things out and get through their little relationship bumps along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sunggyu is working on his self love. it's a journey, not a goal. hope you've been working on some self love too <3


	6. setting boundaries with a vampire (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu's a vampire. Woohyun is a human. They're in love, and trying to make things work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might not be able to upload much this week due to everything going on but hopefully this makes up for it. 
> 
> as for the fic: more angst but it gets happy i promise <3 hope you enjoy

When Sunggyu’s in a good mood, he jokes around with Woohyun a lot. Except he drags it on for a long time, and Woohyun sometimes thinks he’s just doing it to make light of a serious topic.

Lately, they’ve been having a little fun in the bedroom (making blanket forts, obviously), and being all flirty with each other (the honeymoon phase never ends when Sunggyu’s around, Woohyun comes to realize - and he just soaks it up because he loves being showered with hugs and kisses and playful fights). 

And one day, when they’re in that blanket-fort-making mood again and Sunggyu keeps kissing Woohyun’s face, and he’s giggling like a fool in love, Sunggyu asks him a question.

“What would you do if I turned you?” He asks, biting his bottom lip. 

“Turned me? Into a vampire?” Woohyun asks. He hasn’t thought about that, surprisingly. 

“Yeah.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. I need to think about it,” he says, lifting his hand to thumb across Sunggyu’s cheek. He leans into it. 

“Okay,” Sunggyu shrugs, licking his lips again. 

The next few days, Woohyun is swamped with paperwork. It’s the second day (or maybe it’s the third, Woohyun doesn’t remember) and after a few hours, he can’t focus and needs a break. So he goes to Sunggyu, who’s lying on the bed and playing with his phone until Woohyun steps in, and then his eyes light up and he’s at Woohyun’s side. 

“Did you finish your work? Can we do something fun now?” As he smiles, Woohyun sees Sunggyu’s canines. They’re just so slightly sharper than usual, but he ignores it. Maybe he’s so sleep deprived that he’s seeing things.

Woohyun sighs. “No. I want a break though. Let’s do something fun.”

And as they’re playing around with each other, telling each other jokes and talking about vampires, Woohyun asks Sunggyu, “Hey, can you automatically turn into a bat?”

“I mean yeah… but I don’t like doing it. I like staying like this so I can be with you.” Woohyun laughs a little, blushing the slightest bit. 

“You’re so beautiful, you know that, right?” Sunggyu says, biting his lip. “I want to be with you forever.”

“Me too,” Woohyun says, pressing a kiss to Sunggyu’s cheek. He doesn’t miss the way his canines lengthen just the tiniest bit. 

“Really? So you’ve thought about it?”

Woohyun chuckles, a bit nervous. “About what?” Sunggyu leans in closer to Woohyun until Woohyun is laying on his back on the bed.

Sunggyu inches forward enough so that he whispers in Woohyun’s ear, “Me… turning you.” It sends a shiver down Woohyun’s spine, and he feels uncomfortable. 

“Sunggyu, stop,” he says, as light-hearted as he can, playfully shoving Sunggyu off of him. “You’re creeping me out.”

“All right, I’ll stop,” Sunggyu says, putting an end to it. There’s a stretch of silence, and Woohyun doesn’t like it. 

“I should get back to work,” Woohyun sighs. Sunggyu nods. Nothing like awkward tension in the room to fuel his productivity. 

A while later, after Woohyun has spent a few hours finishing up what’s left over of his paperwork, Sunggyu pops in from over his shoulder. Woohyun nearly jumps out of his skin when Sunggyu says something.

“God Sunggyu, you scared me,” Woohyun says, stacking his files on top of each other. “What’s up,” he says, lifting the files to take to another room. 

“Let me help you with that,” Sunggyu says, taking half the load for Woohyun. Woohyun smiles at him, grateful. 

“Thanks.” As they’re sorting out the placement of the files, Sunggyu keeps looking at Woohyun, but Woohyun doesn’t say anything. 

“Hey, is everything alright? You look tense,” Sunggyu mentions, placing one of the files on a shelf. 

“Really?” Woohyun mutters, not looking at Sunggyu. 

“Woohyun.” This time he does look up. It’s rare that Sunggyu says his name in that kind of tone. “What’s wrong?”

Woohyun purses his lips. Suddenly Sunggyu is next to him, lifting his hand to Woohyun’s cheek. Woohyun grabs it before he can do anything, and Sunggyu stops. 

“You keep… saying stuff. Joking, I don’t know. About turning me into a vampire. I don’t like it,” he says, struggling to find the right words to say. 

“I’m not joking,” Sunggyu says, putting his hand back down. “But I am sorry for making you uncomfortable.”

Woohyun nods, avoiding eye contact. Sunggyu continues.

“It’s just an idea,” he says carefully. “I’m not going to do anything to you, I promise. Not unless you say you’re ok with it.”

Woohyun looks up at him then, searching Sunggyu’s eyes. 

“Listen, your thoughts and your feelings are important. I’m not going to push you to make a decision about it, because by default, you are you. The only difference is that I’m not human, and you are. I’m not going to change that. And even if at some point, you decide that yes, you want to become a vampire, then I’m going to double and triple check and make sure that you’re one hundred percent sure that you want it. And if you’re worried about me getting out of control, which won’t happen - I promise you - then you can just cover yourself in that garlic sauce you love so much and I won’t come near you. I’ll probably flee the apartment just to rid myself of the stench. Okay?”

Sunggyu can see Woohyun relax. The other smiles just the tiniest bit at Sunggyu and nods again. “Okay.”

~

“Hey Sunggyu,” Woohyun says one day, when Sunggyu is laying on his chest, having Woohyun run his hand through his hair. He loves when Woohyun does that. It’s comforting.

“Hmm?” Sunggyu responds, nuzzling his face against the material of Woohyun’s shirt. It’s soft and warm from Woohyun’s body heat. Sunggyu misses that about being human.

“Never mind,” Woohyun says, shaking the thought away. 

Sunggyu hums again. Maybe he’ll ask him another time. For now he just wants to enjoy this moment.

Except another time is only a few seconds later, because Woohyun can’t hide his curiosity for long, and he asks, “Do vampires have to shower?”

Sunggyu sighs. “Not necessarily. I mean, we’re dead. It would be useless.”

“Yeah, but like. Don’t you sweat? Even when you run or something? Hey wait, do vampires have to exercise?”

Sunggyu giggles. He loves Curious Woohyun a lot. He loves Woohyun in general, but he loves when he gets interested in things related to vampirism, or vampires. Sunggyu doesn’t know the right term.

“No, we don’t sweat. But you know how you’re touching my hair? It starts to look weird after a few days, so that’s why I just wash it every once in a while.” Sunggyu shifts, looking up at Woohyun. “I don’t mind it much. I do it mostly for you.”

Woohyun hums. “What about exercising? Do you lose or gain weight at all?”

“That’s… a good question. I honestly don’t know. I’ve probably lost a lot of weight though, since I don’t drink blood from the source.”

“Oh.”

“For the record, I’m not gonna drink your blood, Woohyun,” Sunggyu reassures him. Just in case he needs it. He adds playfully, “Unless you want me to.”

Woohyun scoffs. “I’m not letting you do that,” he replies.

“Okay,” Sunggyu says simply. It makes sense, he never wanted this life either. There’s a second of silence, and then Woohyun starts talking again.

“Do vampire hunters come after you?”

“They used to, a long time ago. It’s been a few decades since they’ve shown up, now that I think about it.”

“I think that’s due to the whole Twilight thing,” Woohyun says. 

“And you’re living it,” Sunggyu says, letting out a small laugh. “Hey, now that I think about it, what’s it like dating a vampire, Woohyun? I need to document this for future reference.”

“Future reference? For what?”

“In case a reporter finds out I’m a vampire and asks me that question. I can answer everything else but that. Only you can do that. So, tell me,” Sunggyu nudges Woohyun with his hand, eager to hear his response.

“I don’t know. You’re just… you. The only thing different is that you drink blood and can turn into a bat.”

Sunggyu looks at him with a disapproving glare. “That’s it?”

“No, but that’s what you should tell the reporters. Don’t give them too much information about you.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“But besides that, you’re just. Amazing. You have more humanity than any other human I’ve met before,” Woohyun says, cupping Sunggyu’s face in his hands. He squishes his cheeks so that Sunggyu looks like a fish. “And you’re funny. And my baby. And I love you.”

“Your baby? I’m older than you,” Sunggyu says, pretending to be offended.

“It’s just an expression, my love,” Woohyun smiles sweetly at him. “How old are you, actually?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Fine. Are vampires ticklish?”

“No, they’re n- AHHH stop it!” Sunggyu says, laughing. Woohyun stops, letting Sunggyu breathe.

“So you’re the only one who’s ticklish, then?” Sunggyu grumbles a yes. Woohyun hums, and after Sunggyu lays his head down on Woohyun’s chest and Woohyun’s running his hands through the vampire’s hair again, he asks another question.

“Do you miss your family?”

“Sometimes.”

“Do you still remember what they look like?”

“Of course. I keep their photos with me.”

“Really? Can I see them?”

“Later,” Sunggyu whines. “I want to stay like this for a while.”

“Okay.”

“Hey Woohyun?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I see your baby pictures later, too?”

“Why? You’ve already seen them before.”

“You looked so cute. And I want to keep one of them.”

“Don’t tell me it’s the one I hate. I want to shred that, and the only reason why I haven’t done it is because of my mom, and now you.”

“Nooo, the one where you’re wearing that Mickey Mouse costume? It’s my favorite,” Sunggyu says, pouting. “Wait, speaking of costumes, what are you gonna be for Halloween?”

“I still haven’t decided between a zombie or a vampire,” Woohyun says, sticking out his tongue. “We could be matching!”

“I don’t want to be myself for Halloween. It’s like you saying ‘I’ll be human for Halloween’. You’re human every day of the year.”

“True. What do you want to be?” Woohyun asks. Sunggyu blinks.

“I… don’t know,” he says slowly. 

“Think about it. We still have a few weeks until Halloween. I might even change my mind and go with something else entirely.”

Sunggyu smiles. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello reader! thank you for taking the time to read this! i hope your october is going well. if you're a student like me, things are probably getting kind of tough right now, with due dates and deadlines piling up. (or maybe you're just here to read some fanfics, which is awesome!) either way, whatever situation you're going through, keep going. this has been a psa, thank you for reading this note (and this fic so far), and i hope you have a wonderful week!


	7. setting boundaries with a vampire (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu is a vampire, Woohyun is a human. They're a couple trying to make things work.
> 
> The one where Woohyun needs consoling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was wondering whether or not to upload this one but i mean... why not. so here goes~

“Why do you love me?”

Sunggyu whips his head over to Woohyun so fast that he thinks he might have broken it if he was still human. “What?” he asks, as if this is the most ridiculous question he’s ever heard Woohyun say. 

“I mean, what’s so special about me?” Woohyun says plainly. He doesn’t look up from where he’s mindlessly scrolling on his phone, but Sunggyu knows he’s not really focusing on the screen. 

“Everything,” Sunggyu says immediately. “Everything about you is special, Woohyun.”

“Yeah, but… what?” 

Sunggyu thinks for a bit. 

“I like you because… you’re kind. To everyone, including me. Like… um. I didn’t actually want to tell you this, but sometimes I follow you when you go to work, and there’s always these kids on the side of the road, playing around with each other. And you always say hi to them and play with them for awhile before heading off to work. I think it’s nice of you to just see them and talk to them.”

Woohyun doesn’t say anything, so Sunggyu continues. 

“You know what my favorite thing about you is?” Woohyun looks at him this time, and Sunggyu almost surges forward to engulf him in his arms.

“You have the biggest goddamned heart I’ve ever seen. Seriously. Not a day goes by without you practically opening up to me about things that are hard to talk about. Things that I wouldn’t want to bring up myself. And you handle everything in such a sweet way, and I’m always surprised by how humble you are and how much you care about others.” 

It’s probably the first time Sunggyu sees Woohyun cry in front of him, and he’s running over to him with a handful of tissues and comforting words: it’s okay, you’re okay, don’t cry, you are so wonderful. And Woohyun buries his head into the crook of Sunggyu’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck and hiccuping from all the sobs echoing through his chest. 

Sunggyu runs one of his hands through Woohyun’s hair, the other rubbing the middle of his back. 

It takes a few minutes for Woohyun to collect himself again, and Sunggyu brushes his hair away from his eyes so he can wipes his tears. He goes into the kitchen, bringing Woohyun a glass of water. How did Sunggyu not realize how much Woohyun was hurting?

“Hey,” Sunggyu says, as Woohyun takes a few sips, his hands trembling. Woohyun leans on to Sunggyu’s shoulder for support. At least Sunggyu knows he’s listening.

“You wanna eat something?”

Woohyun nods (more like rubs his cheek against Sunggyu’s shoulder, but he considers it the same thing). 

“Okay, I’ll make you something.”

Woohyun grips Sunggyu’s arm, not letting him budge. Sunggyu laughs a little, saying “You want me to stay?” He nods again. 

“All right, I’ll stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be final chapter of vampire!sunggyu and it'll be in interview-style! im SUPER excited for this one :D


	8. A Fangtastic Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interview with Sunggyu the Vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so excited to post this :D thank you to my lovely friends for helping me come up with questions for sunggyu! <3
> 
> this is the last vampire sunggyu post (in a row... i might make more because honestly i could go on and on about this). i hope u enjoy <3

**Hi Sunggyu. We humans have a few questions for you that we’d like you to answer.**

Sunggyu: Ok, but can Woohyun sit next to me? Why does he have to sit all the way over there?

**Because you’re the main point of the interview, Sunggyu. You’re a vampire and we want to ask you some questions.**

Sunggyu: 

_a few moments later_

**Ok, Sunggyu, may we begin?**

Sunggyu, looking at Woohyun fondly, patting his hand: Yes. I’m ready now.

**Ok. So to start off, how do vampires know what they look like?**

Sunggyu: Well, I wasn’t born NOT knowing what I look like. So I know what I look like based on my memory. I became a vampire in my 20s. It was weird the first few years though, because I was so used to looking in mirrors and seeing myself there. But then cameras came along and now I can see what I look like and take photos of myself. 

**That actually leads me to my next question! Do vampires have Instagram?**

Sunggyu: What’s that?

Woohyun: It’s the one I showed you once, remember? You use it to post pictures online and other people can follow you and see your photos. There’s funny filters and stuff?

Sunggyu: …

Woohyun, softly: Sunset app.

Sunggyu: OH! Okay, yes. I have that. I don’t use it a lot though. Woohyun is the one who normally uses it. 

Woohyun: You didn’t answer her question.

Sunggyu: What was the question?

Woohyun: Do vampires have Instagram.

Sunggyu: Yes. No wait, no. I don’t know. Maybe. They might, I just don’t know that many vampires who do.

**What is the average lifespan of vampires?**

Woohyun: Ooh, I’m interested too.

Sunggyu, glancing nervously at Woohyun: Average lifespan is 750 years. Longest is 1000. Shortest depends on whether or not you get killed.

Woohyun: So where do you fall on that spectrum?

Sunggyu: Can we move onto the next question please.

**What is your favorite type of blood?**

Sunggyu, looking at interviewer:

Woohyun, waiting for his response:

Sunggyu: Type Woohyun.

Woohyun: That’s what I thought. I’m Type B. He knows I won’t let him drink my blood, so he gets it from the blood banks.

Sunggyu: It’s not that you won’t let me drink your blood, it’s just that you need to eat more iron-enriched foods, Woohyun. 

Woohyun, whispering to the interviewer: He’s just jealous I won’t give him any.

**Do vampires have issues getting close to humans? Since you will outlive humans?**

Sunggyu, keeping his eyes glued to the floor: Yes. We normally don’t form bonds with humans because it’s very difficult to go on after the human has passed away. Some vampires seek out hunters themselves after their human has died so they can be with them. 

_Woohyun rubs Sunggyu’s back for support._

Woohyun: Is that why you asked me if I wanted to be a vampire?

Sunggyu, nodding: Yeah. A lot of vampires also turn their significant others into vampires so they can be with them for a longer time. That’s ONLY if the human consents to it. Otherwise it’s not a true bond and it doesn’t work. And that’s when the human dies. The vampire gets poisoned soon after and dies too. 

**That’s very tragic.**

Sunggyu: It’s just how it is. And it’s not just the outliving humans part either - there are some vampires who take advantage of human’s love and kill them instead. I hate them more than anything in this world, and I hate being associated with them.

**Do vampires fall in love many times throughout their lives?**

Sunggyu: Yes. Many of us do, and it’s not limited to relationships with other vampires or humans. I know some athletes and singers who love what they do and they have no interest in relationships. They’re in love with what they do. 

**How do vampires make money?**

Sunggyu, flashing his fangs: We have our ways.

Woohyun, swatting the vampire’s arm: Sunggyu, stop scaring the interviewer. 

**Ok, to lighten the mood (and recover from that last response) I’m going to ask a few silly questions. But before I start, are there any vampire stereotypes you find offensive?**

Sunggyu: Not really. I find most of them funny.

**Great. Do vampires push other vampires into the sun as a practical joke?**

Sunggyu: Sometimes. The newer ones do, but that’s because they don’t know that the sun doesn’t really “burn” us. The sun doesn’t really bother us too much, but we do need to wear a lot of sunscreen when we go out. 

**What’s your favorite season?**

Sunggyu: Easily winter. The annoying insects are dead, along with my soul.

Woohyun: I like summer. 

Sunggyu: No one asked you.

Woohyun: WAY TO MAKE ME FEEL INCLUDED.

**I like spring.**

Sunggyu:

Woohyun: How come you didn’t say anything to her?

Sunggyu: Can we please move on.

**How do you get your vitamin D since you can’t be in the sun too often?**

Sunggyu: Supplements. Except I’m not sure if it works since our diet is far different than humans. So I don’t know if it works or not. 

**Have you heard of Twilight?**

Sunggyu, sighing deeply: Yes. Woohyun has made me watch all the movies. 

**How accurate is it?**

Sunggyu: We don’t sparkle. If anything, the humans are the ones who do. Like, Woohyun sparkles. That’s why I was attracted to him when we first met.

Woohyun, a smile beaming from his face: I sparkle.

Sunggyu, smiling fondly: Yes, you do. 

***cough* What is your life’s purpose, Sunggyu?**

Sunggyu: Hmm… 

Sunggyu: To make the best of whatever time I have left. Although I do have a longer lifespan than humans, I still have a deadline. We’re not immortal beings. 

**Do you question life?**

Sunggyu: My own life, yes. I hate my life. I wouldn’t want to wish it upon anyone else. 

Woohyun: Then how come you’ve asked me to become a vampire?

Sunggyu: Because I’m a selfish bastard and I want to be with you forever.

Woohyun: Awwww. 

Sunggyu: There’s no “awww” about it, Woohyun. This is a miserable life. I regret asking you that. 

Woohyun: Do you regret becoming a vampire?

Sunggyu: Honestly, if I had my own way and if I hadn’t made a stupid mistake, then I would have never become a vampire. But that also means I probably never would have met you, so. There’s that. 

Sunggyu: I do regret it though. 

**Do vampires have trouble adapting to new times?**

Sunggyu: Sometimes. Depends on how old they are. I still struggle a bit with technology, and I know other vampires who just don’t understand terminology. 

Woohyun: Like the fact that you still don’t know what a hashtag is?

Sunggyu: I know what it is! It’s a cross hatch mark. 

Woohyun, looking at the interviewer: See what I mean.

**Do you know what memes are?**

Sunggyu: I think Woohyun has showed me some. Some are funny, I’ll admit. But I don’t understand most of them… Woohyun has to explain it to me, and when he does, it loses the humor behind it. 

Woohyun: It’s true. His humor is so bad.

Sunggyu: Is not.

_Woohyun sticks his tongue out at Sunggyu._

**So… do vampires have their own online community or presence?**

Sunggyu: And make the vampire hunters find us? No. There might be, but it’s constantly shifting or moving around to different platforms because the hunters are always on our tail.

Woohyun: Sunggyu, I think you’re just paranoid. No one takes those “vampires” seriously, it’s all just roleplay.

Sunggyu: Woohyun, I love you, but honestly you haven’t been around long enough to see them. They’re vicious, and will slaughter at first sight. They’ve killed innocent vampires, including children, women, and the disabled. 

**Oh, are there any disabled vampires?**

Sunggyu, rolling his eyes: Of course there are. There are many. We have vampires who need to use wheelchairs to get around. Sometimes, things go wrong when vampires turn humans into one of us. The venom in our fangs, it messes with their hormones, and then some end up with health problems for the remainder of their lives. 

Woohyun: Wow.

Sunggyu: Yeah. I mean, there’s plenty of risks involved when becoming a vampire. Those who are born as vampires don’t have that risk. Unless you have a health problem, then it’s most likely hereditary. It’s like how humans get things passed down. 

**That’s interesting! I never thought about that-**

Sunggyu: No one ever does. 

**So does this change your answer to one of our previous questions about stereotypes?**

Sunggyu: I guess so. It’s just things like these that bother me. Humans think vampires are just superhumans, but we’re not. Half of our population is just like you, and the only difference is that we drink blood and have fangs. 

Woohyun: And you can turn into a bat.

Sunggyu: And we turn into bats.

**Are there doctors for vampires?**

Sunggyu: Yes, but very few. It’s a struggle, especially since half of our population is human-turned-vampires. They come in thinking it’ll be all fun and games, like “yeah, I’m gonna run really fast and fly and have super cool teeth” and once they realize that’s not it at all, that’s it. There’s no undo button, it’s done. So you have to live with it. 

Woohyun: What kind of doctors are there?

**(Thanks for bringing it back Woohyun.)**

Woohyun, whispering to interviewer: No big deal, he goes off on tangents all the time.

Sunggyu: I know there are a few doctors who deal with vampires who’ve been through traumatic experiences, like their first hunt, or doctors who do therapy with vampires. Because it’s hard to adjust to the lifestyle, especially when you were human before. I’m sure there are doctors who help those injured or in need? But honestly, the worst that I’ve been was because of food poisoning. 

Woohyun: That’s not his worst. 

Sunggyu: What?

Woohyun: You’ve been worse. Mentally.

Sunggyu: Oh. Yeah. 

**Would you like to elaborate on that?**

Woohyun: I’d prefer not to. 

Sunggyu:

**Sunggyu, do you have anything else to add?**

Sunggyu: No.

**You mentioned “innocent” vampires earlier… Do you believe vampires have a sense of morality? What are your thoughts on vampires killing people?**

Sunggyu: Killing people as in just killing them or accidentally getting too much blood from them to the point the human can’t recover?

**Either one.**

Sunggyu: It’s… complicated. That’s all I can say about that.

**Okay… last one: Did a vampire work on the Twilight set?**

Sunggyu: I doubt it. Even I would have gone crazy at how inaccurately we were represented. Can’t say the same about werewolves, though.

Woohyun: You know, I was Team Jacob all the way.

Sunggyu: Did I ask?

_Woohyun sticks his tongue out. Sunggyu rolls his eyes._

**Thank you both for your time, it was nice to meet you.**

Sunggyu, flashing his fangs: My pleasure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it might be a while until i upload another chapter onto here, mainly due to assignments and work stacking up. hopefully i can get a few more in until Halloween <3 thank you for reading and thank you for making it to this chapter!


	9. it's hard to sleep at night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sungyeol is a fairy with a fear of abandonment - it's all he's ever known. Sunggyu tries to change that.

Sungyeol was born as a fairy. He was born into a wealthy family, and the ruler of the fairies was his grandfather. His own father had been incarcerated for crimes he committed against his kind, and siding with the humans. His mother was always hesitant to tell Sungyeol about his father, but he knows he had done unspeakable things to her. So he basically grew up without a father figure, and had a mother that didn’t want to come near him. 

He hung around the pixies often, and they were more sinister than the fairies. They would get into trouble more often than not, and Sungyeol couldn’t help but follow them. 

In order to become a part of the pixie crew, Sungyeol had to be initiated. This meant following the pixies for a few months, and the pixies taking advantage of him, blaming their wrongdoings on Sungyeol himself, just so they could escape the consequences. 

It wasn’t too bad at first. He just had to steal a few crystals from an old witch, and she was so blind that he got in and out of her house quickly. Then he had to search an ogre’s house for some truffles, and those were harder to obtain than the crystals. 

But then came the worst part: drinking golden nectar. Something that only the courageous could do, or so they said. Sungyeol just thought they were insane. Theft and bribery were things Sungyeol could do. Drinking something meant for the gods? You can’t go back once you’ve taken a sip. 

He’d seen what it had done to the other pixies. They had chugged it down like syrup, and blacked out within seconds. Some had a few sips and hallucinated terrible, terrible things. Things that weren’t meant to be seen. And the images would haunt them forever. They had done inexplicable things to themselves to get rid of them. 

So he declined. And within a few days, he was kicked out of the group, blamed for their crimes, and shunned by the entire royal bloodline of the fairy kingdom. It happened so fast that Sungyeol barely had time to say goodbye to his mother (not that she wanted him to stay anyway). 

It took him some time, but he slowly got back up on his feet again and started over. 

He took up some odd jobs on the outskirts of the kingdom, but it wasn’t easy. So once he found a job, he held onto it for as long as he could until word got around and he was fired. 

Again and again, he went around, and when it got to the point where no one would so much as open the door for him, he knew he needed to get away from here. His birthplace, his family, his home. 

It wasn’t until Sunggyu came along that he finally got to get away from his old life. Sunggyu was able to jump from different worlds and take him places he never would have thought to exist.

Sunggyu took him in like an older brother, someone Sungyeol wished he had. He offered him his home, meals throughout the day, someone to rely on and trust. Sungyeol thought that maybe he was dreaming, that he was going to wake up and realize this was all his imagination. He didn’t want to leave. And Sunggyu, being the person he is, stuck with Sungyeol, even through all the angry outbursts he had, all the frustration he went through, all the back talking and snarky remarks Sungyeol made about Sunggyu… and he was still there. Not that Sunggyu put up with all of that, but he certainly put up with Sungyeol. He thought at some point, Sunggyu may have discarded him, too, and that fear kept him up late at night. 

It took Sungyeol time to realize that Sunggyu wasn’t going to leave. And silently, he thanked him. He never said it to his face, but on days when he woke up early, Sungyeol would make breakfast and leave it on the table for Sunggyu to eat. He left healing crystals and blue vials on his bedside table when Sunggyu seemed to be low on energy. Sungyeol didn’t want to make it seem that he hated being here with Sunggyu - especially when the other one was offering him free meals and a roof over his head. So he did what he could to express his gratitude. He just hoped it was enough.

And slowly, over time, Sungyeol opened up to him. It happened in bits and pieces, and eventually, everything unraveled about his past. 

And to Sungyeol’s surprise, Sunggyu didn’t… leave him? He stayed. Unlike everyone else, Sunggyu stayed. 

Sungyeol still has his doubts, though. It eats at him, the thought that Sunggyu might someday just leave him out of the blue, tell him that this was all just a lie and that he has put up with him long enough and that he’s sick and tired of dealing with him. 

But there are times when Sunggyu comes home after a long day, and he takes a bit of the blue vial Sungyeol leaves him, then comes over and gives Sungyeol one of his rare hugs. Sungyeol stiffens when he does, but Sunggyu just snuggles in closer. 

“Thank you for being here,” he says, softly. 

Sungyeol snorts at that. 

“What did I do?”

Sunggyu hums. “You’re always here for me.” And with that, he unwraps his arms and tells Sungyeol he’s off to bed, and Sungyeol just sits there. 

When he goes to his room to get some sleep, he sees a note at his bedside table. He opens it up and sees a message written on it. 

_It’s nice to have someone to come home to. Thank you for being here, Sungyeol. P.S. It’s your turn to wash the dishes next week. No using your powers - it’s not fair >:(_

The fairy keeps the note in a special box he made, filled with little trinkets and things that remind him of the happy memories he’s made throughout his life. And maybe, just maybe, Sungyeol can get through this fear, and everything will be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was meant to be hojong so idk what happened but oh well  
> thank u for reading <3


	10. Disenchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myungsoo learns how magic works, the hard way.

“Okay, okay, wait,” Myungsoo’s mother says, looking at the screen of the video camera in her hands. Myungsoo has just learned how to cast a spell and his mom wants to record his process. He’s the first in his family to have powers, and it’s a big moment. 

“Okay, NOW!”, she says, pressing the record button on the camera. Myungsoo is smiling really big, his two front teeth still not fully grown in just yet. “Show me what you did before!” his mother encourages him, beaming with pride. 

So Myungsoo waves his wand and… nothing. Immediately, he frowns. He could do it before, why not now?

“Honey, it’s okay, try again!” his mother urges. Always the obedient child, Myungsoo gives a determined look and waves his wand again. Something sparks, but then ends as quickly as it started. 

But Myungsoo is excited. He jumps up and down, giggling at his mother. 

“Mom, look! I can do it again!”

And this time, a small flame comes from the tip of the wand, flickering softly. Myungsoo screams out, “I DID IT! Mom, did you SEE that? I did it!” And his mother waits for a few more seconds until she turns off the recording and runs over to her baby, giving him one of her big, warm hugs. 

She’s tearing up a little bit, holding Myungsoo’s face in her hands and telling him how proud she is of him.

~

It’s only when Myungsoo hits puberty that things start to go wrong. 

Sure, Myungsoo has learned more spells and can manage some of the powers he has. But his emotions keep getting in the way, and he’s having trouble casting protection spells. He’s learning them just in case anyone tries to comes after him or his family. 

His parents are both, well, human. They don’t have powers, but they’re not powerless, no. They still have a tight grip on Myungsoo and won’t let him go. Which is kind of frustrating, since all of Myungsoo’s magical friends’ parents let them go off on their own and have fun. Instead, they let him practice his spells over and over again, and yeah, it gets tiring. Some days Myungsoo wants to quit, and he hates that he’s been born with magic in his bones. 

He’s trying to lift up his broomstick one day - an old blue plastic looking stick with a brush attached to the end; his parents had gotten him that for his birthday because they couldn’t afford the hand carved wooden ones that all the other kids got - when he sees his younger brother, Moonsoo, come outside to play with him. 

Myungsoo sighs insufferably. Moonsoo always bothers Myungsoo, whenever he’s trying to cast spells or do anything related to magic. Moonsoo wants to play around with him and be a magician just like his older brother, but Myungsoo tells him it’s not easy. And today, Myungsoo’s patience is really running thin because he’s angry that he has a stupid plastic broom and his powers don’t seem to be working because he’s been trying to lift this stupid thing since ten in the morning and it’s already three in the afternoon and his younger brother on top of it all is just great. Just fantastic. Whatever. He’ll just ignore him. 

Except he can’t. Because Moonsoo is just there, and Myungsoo can’t focus on what he’s doing. He tries to lift the broom using his powers, but there’s something niggling in the back of his mind, and soon enough, the broom lifts up, just the tiniest bit, and flops down to the ground. Moonsoo is laughing in the background, and Myungsoo is about to explode. So he does. 

“Leave me ALONE, Moonsoo,” he screams at his younger brother, and Moonsoo immediately shuts up, looking at Myungsoo with those wide sad eyes he always pulls when he does something wrong. 

Then, for some reason, Moonsoo starts screaming. It’s a blood curdling scream, and Myungsoo flinches from how loud and terrible the sound is coming from that tiny body. 

“What? What’s wrong?” Myungsoo says, furrowing his eyebrows. Myungsoo doesn’t want his mother coming and making a whole fuss on how to treat his brother nicely. Moonsoo screams even louder, and when Myungsoo looks at him again, his brother starts crying, literally sobbing, and he runs back inside the house. 

Myungsoo shrugs, thinking that Moonsoo’s being dramatic all of a sudden, and goes back to working with the broom. His parents later come and tell him that he scared Moonsoo half to death with his yelling and now Moonsoo won’t come downstairs. Whatever, it’s not like it’s Myungsoo’s problem. 

He doesn’t see Moonsoo for the rest of the day, and something in the back of his mind tells him that he should check up on him, just in case he’s feeling okay again, but he decides against it and goes to sleep. After all, his parents are looking after him for now, so it doesn’t matter anyway. He’ll just wake up tomorrow and everything will go back to normal. 

It doesn’t. Moonsoo loses it when he sees Myungsoo again, starts screaming over and over, clutching onto his mother’s shirt and hiding behind her. 

And this happens every time. Every day, for weeks on end, Moonsoo is terrified by the sight of his older brother, and Myungsoo doesn’t understand what he did wrong. 

Later on, he finds out that Moonsoo thinks he’s become the most gruesome monster in the world. He screams about the blinking eyes on Myungsoo’s body, how Myungsoo seems to have horns growing out of his head and tentacles sprouting from behind his back. It doesn’t stop. Whatever Moonsoo sees, it gets worse and worse by the day, and no one can do anything about it. 

Myungsoo’s mother asks him what went wrong since that day, and Myungsoo doesn’t know how to respond. He doesn’t even remember what he said to Moonsoo that made him act like this. Myungsoo’s father forces him to read all the books and spells he’s learned this far to reverse it, but nothing comes up. Eventually, his father has to take Moonsoo to the city, far away from where Myungsoo and his family live, in order for them to live peacefully.

Myungsoo doesn’t see Moonsoo after that. 

~

Now, Myungsoo is older, and he is more cautious. He stays quiet most of the time, and practices what he wants to say in his head until he’s sure it won’t turn back on him. Hexes are not something to be played with, and he’s clearly learned that the hard way. 

He definitely doesn’t do any spells when he’s feeling angry or annoyed or upset anymore. He waits until he’s feeling relatively better so he can focus on what he’s doing. 

His father doesn’t speak to him much, not after what happened with Myungsoo’s little brother. Myungsoo can’t really blame him. After Moonsoo left, Myungsoo’s relationship with his father shattered, and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces, repair what he had with his father, but it’s not the same anymore. He looks at Myungsoo with disgust everytime he sees him working on a new spell or brewing something in a cauldron. 

And, on his 20th birthday, Myungsoo finally gets what he wanted - a hand carved wooden broomstick, with his initials carved specially by the shop owner - and his father shakes his head, gets up from the table and goes to bed. Myungsoo blows out the candles by himself that night. 

His mother is still such a sweetheart. Always has been, always will be. She tells Myungsoo about his brother sometimes, and how he’s doing. How he’s holding up. How he’s living a good life, spending time with his friends. His mother knows all of this of course, because Moonsoo is living with their uncle, Myungsoo’s mother’s brother. She glows when she talks about him, just like she does when she talks about Myungsoo, but there’s something dull behind her bright eyes, and Myungsoo can sense the sadness slowly eating away at her. She hasn’t seen him in a long while, and he knows. It’s the unspoken words that makes Myungsoo buy tickets for his parents so they can travel to the city and see their second son. His mother insists that she’s fine, and she can just see Moonsoo through the photos her brother sends her, but they all know it’s not the same. 

~

It’s a sunny day when Myungsoo sees a boy sitting by himself on the road. He has a blanket covered around him, warming his hands up near the flame of a candle. Myungsoo takes an interest in him, mostly because he reminds him of Moonsoo, but also because Myungsoo wants someone to talk to, and he seems friendly. 

When he comes over, the boy offers him some matchsticks, and Myungsoo smiles. He gladly takes them, and exchanges the matchsticks with some food he picked up from a few stores nearby. He hands the boy a couple of strawberries and a loaf of bread, and he gobbles up the strawberries pretty quickly moving onto the bread. 

“You must be hungry,” Myungsoo notes. The boy nods. He stuffs his face with the bread, and Myungsoo laughs.

“I can bring you some more, if you’d like,” he says, and the boy’s face lights up. He nods, his cheeks filled with bread. 

“What’s your name?” Myungsoo asks. 

“Sungjong,” he says, after gulping everything down. 

“My name’s Myungsoo,” he introduces himself. 

He comes back every day, looking after the boy, making sure he’s got enough blankets and food to last him for the day. He buys off his matchsticks, and brings him more candles. Sungjong seems to like the candles, especially the vanilla scented ones. “They remind me of home,” he says softly one day to Myungsoo. He looks vulnerable then, so small and so fragile. 

So of course, the only rational thing for Myungsoo to do is to adopt him as his sibling and bring him home to his parents. Which, of course, the only rational response his parents give him, is yelling at him for bringing a stranger home out of nowhere. 

But because it’s Sungjong and he’s just an angel in disguise, they warm up to him pretty quickly. Before she knows it, Myungsoo’s mother loves Sungjong just as much as he loves her other two sons. His father, well… he’s not really keen about the idea of taking care of another child, but sometimes Myungsoo sees him trying to hide a smile when Sungjong does something stupidly funny and it makes Myungsoo’s heart swell up with joy. 

He’s still wary around Sungjong, around anyone he’s ever known. Still careful with his words, still trying to find peace within himself after what happened so many years ago. His father still side eyes him when he practices magic, his mother still loves him with that big heart of hers. Myungsoo is trying his best, and magic still doesn’t come easy to him, but he’s not going to give up. He was born with a gift, and although at times it really does feel like a curse, it’s just how it is, and Myungsoo has to learn to accept it. 

Most importantly, he has to accept himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay for updating  
> hope u enjoyed <3


	11. Ghost Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Infinite visits a haunted house. Dongwoo isn't too pleased about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, we've come a long way. It's almost the end of October (two more days until Halloween YAY) and... here we are. This is the last chapter.  
> i was up until 1am writing this and let me tell you, i do not recommend that T_T i had been watching a bunch of scary videos earlier that day too, so that just. did not help. pls write horror stories in the daylight. this has been a psa thank u.

Dongwoo knows that everytime Halloween rolls around, he’s going to have to suffer through haunted attractions. Thanks to Sungjong, of course. 

Every year, Sungjong makes everyone in their friend circle go to a haunted place, just for the thrill of it all. Sungjong finds it thrilling, Dongwoo finds it terrifying. Hoya finds it hilarious in general.

So this time, they’re visiting a haunted house- notorious for having records of people seeing actual ghosts in the house, or knocks on doors in the middle of the night. Typical kind of freaky stuff you see in the movies, except in real life.

“We’re HERE!” Sungyeol shouts, a grin stretching across his face. Dongwoo can already feel the goosebumps on his skin. 

“Do we really have to spend the night here?” Dongwoo whines as Sungjong steps out of the car. 

“Yes,” Sungjong says, opening the trunk. They took two cars this time, since they’d be sleeping here overnight. Sungyeol, Sungjong, and Dongwoo in one car, and Hoya, Sunggyu, Woohyun, and Myungsoo in the other. 

“Where are the others? Weren’t they behind us?” Sungyeol asks Sungjong. Dongwoo can feel his heart racing even louder. It really doesn’t help that it’s freezing cold. How can it be this cold in October already? Ridiculous. 

“Eh, they’ll catch up,” Sungjong says, tossing Sungyeol two of the bags and slamming the trunk shut. Dongwoo jerks at the sound, his body shaking. This was going to be a long, long night. 

~

“Did you bring the walkie-talkies?” Sunggyu asks Hoya as he’s unloading the car. Even though it’s dark out, Sunggyu can still see Dongwoo’s teeth chattering from the distance. He suggested to bring the walkie-talkies for him. 

“I thought you were bringing them,” Hoya says, his mouth dropping slightly. Crap. 

“No worries, guys,” Woohyun pops up from behind them. “I strapped them all to Myungsoo so we wouldn’t forget them.”

“Okay, so where’s Myungsoo?” Hoya asking the obvious. 

“Good question,” Woohyun chuckles nervously.

“I’m right here, Woohyun,” Myungsoo says, frowning. He’s standing next to Sunggyu, right in front of them. He waves a hand just so he’s sure they can see him. “Can’t you see me?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t,” Woohyun sighs in relief. “It’s really dark. Thank goodness you made it though.”

“Okay, let’s go in, I think Dongwoo’s about to have a heart attack,” Sunggyu says, bringing them back to the present. It was time to enter the haunted house. 

~

“Man, I thought this place would have some decent wifi or something at least,” Sungyeol says, clicking his tongue. 

“Yeol, we’ve been to abandoned places like this before, you should know this by now,” Sungjong snaps. Everyone seems to be taking a million years to just set up their sleeping bags and clothes and it’s wasting precious time. Time where they could be out searching for ghosts. AKA Dongwoo’s favorite part. 

Speaking of him, where did Dongwoo go, anyway? Sungjong looks around the room and makes a headcount of only five other people. Wait, are they missing two now? Oh right, he forgot to count himself. Okay, so six.

“Where’s Dongwoo?” Sungjong asks, not wasting any more time. It’s of the essence right now. 

“He’s hiding behind Sunggyu,” Woohyun blurts out. Sungjong gives him a good look before glancing over at Sunggyu. 

“Dongwoo, we need to get going, come on. You haven’t even set up your sleeping space, how are you going to go to bed?”

“I never get enough sleep whenever we do these things, Jjongie,” Dongwoo speaks softly, and Sungjong can hear the frown in his voice. Yeah, maybe bringing Dongwoo along wasn’t the best idea, but he didn’t want to leave him out of these things. Maybe next year they’ll just watch a scary movie.

“Okay, how about this. Everyone has a partner, and you don’t leave until you’re with your partner. Sound good?”

“No.”

“Dongwoo, you’re gonna have one other person with you-”

“It’s not enough!”

“Okay, anyone who agrees with Dongwoo?”

Myungsoo raises his hand. “I’d rather go as a group.”

Sungjong sighs insufferably. “All right, we’ll all go together.”

Dongwoo lets out a sigh of relief. 

~

“GUYS DID YOU HEAR THAT.” Hoya gasps, standing completely still. 

“WHAT, WHAT WAS IT?” Dongwoo responds, head darting from side to side, looking for the source of sound.

“I thought I heard a door creaking somewhere,” Hoya says, shivering. “And why is it so cold?”

“Right, I thought it was really cold too,” Woohyun says, dressed in a big puffy coat with a thick, knitted scarf around his neck. 

“You look like you’re about to hibernate, Woohyun, what are you talking about?”

“I just have a weak immune system, Lee Howon,” Woohyun snaps. “God. If I die tonight, it won’t be because of ghosts, it’ll be because I get sick easily.”

“Then why didn’t you take your Vitamin C supplements like your doctor told you to?” Hoya asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“Because you kept making fun of me for it,” Woohyun pouts.

“Congratulations, you played yourself,” Sungyeol says, slow clapping and making the sound echo into the hallway. 

“Sungyeol!” Dongwoo hisses, “Stop it, you’re gonna let the ghosts know we’re here!”

Just to get a rise out of him, Sungyeol starts hollering as he runs up and down the hallway. 

If Dongwoo dies tonight, he doesn’t know how he’s going to explain this to his family. 

~

Dongwoo sniffs. “Do you guys smell that? It smells like something rotten,” he says, horrified. 

“Sorry, that was me,” Myungsoo says sheepishly. “I had some bad spicy tuna earlier today.”

Sungjong facepalms as Sunggyu tries to stifle his laughs. 

“Can we just keep looking around for something scary?” Sungjong sighs. “I want to get something on film before we leave.”

They all go back to lurking around, trying to see if the lights in the house flicker or anything spooky like that. A minute passes and then someone speaks again.

“Actually, I need to go to the bathroom,” Myungsoo pipes up. “Can someone come with me?”

“If I promise to come with you, will you be quick?” Sunggyu says, raising an eyebrow.

“That… depends on the spicy tuna,” Myungsoo says, clutching his stomach. 

~

 

“Oh my god!” Myungsoo exclaims. 

“What, are you okay?” Sunggyu says, concerned. What if a ghost came at him or something?

“This bathroom has really cute soap!” Of course Myungsoo would notice that.

“Myungsoo, can you hurry up please? I’m getting creeped out by this place.”

“It’s just a bathroom,” Myungsoo waves it off like it’s nothing. “Ew, there’s like weird stains on the walls, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re like blotches of paint splattered on the walls, I think. It looks red. It really doesn’t match the yellow printed wallpaper.”

“Myungsoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Hurry. Up. Before I lose my sanity,” Sunggyu says, darting his eyes around the room, in case any of the lights flicker or a spirit comes floating up to him. 

“Sunggyu, I think you’ve already lost your sanity.”

He couldn’t agree more.

~

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Woohyun asks Sungyeol. 

“The plan is, we ditch Sungjong and Dongwoo and try to scare Hoya. You go down one hallway, and I’ll go the other, and then we meet up behind Hoya and scream. Sounds good?”

“Yeah, but there’s only one flaw,” Woohyun says. 

“What?”

“We lost Sungjong, Dongwoo, AND Hoya.”

~

It takes a while before Hoya realizes Woohyun and Sungyeol are gone, but he just shrugs it off. They’re probably trying to go around and play one of their pranks on the others. Myungsoo and Sunggyu can’t be too far away anyways, so he assumes they went off to scare the living daylights out of Sunggyu. 

Sunggyu also doesn’t like coming to places like this, Hoya’s noticed. He gets scared easily, but he just tries not to show it. Granted, Hoya does too. But at least he has a better poker face than Sunggyu. 

As he’s thinking, he doesn’t realize he walks into a room, and before he knows it, the door slams shut. He blinks before he remembers that he was supposed to follow behind Sungjong and Dongwoo and goes back to open the door. 

Except it’s locked. Hoya pulls on the handle once, twice, and a third time, but it still won’t open. His heart starts racing. 

But wait, what if it’s just Woohyun and Sungyeol pulling their prank? Nah, they’d let him know it was them… right?

~

“Okay, so now we have to go find the rest of them,” Sunggyu tells Myungsoo. He takes a few steps forward before he realizes Myungsoo isn’t following him, and he looks back to see the dork is examining the seashell shaped soap that was in the bathroom earlier. 

“MYUNGSOO,” Sunggyu shouts at him. This startles Myungsoo, and he ends up dropping the soap. It falls into a crevice near the wall, and now he can’t pick it up. 

“Aww, Sunggyu, why’d you do that?” he whines, stomping his feet a little. 

“What are you, twelve? Come on, we have to go,” Sunggyu says, waiting for Myungsoo. The longer he hangs around here, the creepier it gets. He hates the trips Sungjong makes them all go on. (Although he’s pretty sure Sungjong drags them with him just so he has company.)

Suddenly, multiple things happen at once. The lights flicker for a second, Myungsoo lets out a gasp, and Sunggyu hears something whisper in his ear, sending shivers up his spine. He curls into himself and falls onto the floor, sending a quick prayer to the sky above, hoping he’ll be spared.

And then he hears the giggling. The laughs that sound so, so familiar, and the snickers and chuckles that could only mean…

“Sungyeol! Woohyun!” Myungsoo yells happily, “I’m so glad you’re here!” 

Sunggyu cranes his neck behind him, giving the two pranksters the most evil glare he can give, and Sungyeol’s face immediately pales. He elbows Woohyun, who still seems to be laughing, and then Woohyun shuts up too. 

Oh, this is going to be a fun night, Sunggyu thinks. 

~

“Dongwoo?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you stop holding onto my shirt? It’s going to rip if you grip it any harder, and I’d like to keep my shirt on, please,” Sungjong says, gently. 

“Oh,” Dongwoo says, and immediately lets go. He still follows closely behind him, though. Then he realizes how quiet it is. Looking behind him, he doesn’t see any of the others. Sunggyu and Myungsoo he knows have gone searching for the bathroom, so he has a sense of where they are or could be - but Woohyun, Sungyeol, and Hoya seem to have disappeared. This is not okay. 

“Sungjong, where’d the others go?”

No response. 

“Sungjong?” Dongwoo looks in front of him again, and sees Sungjong is stopped dead in his tracks. His video camera is still recording, and as Dongwoo takes a look at it, he sees a shadowy figure standing still at the end of the hall. A clear… figure… of someone who is not Sunggyu, Woohyun, Hoya, Sungyeol, or Myungsoo. 

Dongwoo grabs Sungjong’s wrist and runs back down the hallway from where they came from, not looking back once. 

~

The walkie talkie starts working when Myungsoo hears Hoya’s voice coming through. It’s scratchy and distorted, but he can still make out Hoya’s voice. Not really what he’s saying, though. 

“Hoya, you there? Over.”

“Myun… thank good… locked… room… help me?”

“What? I can’t hear you, can you repeat that? Over.”

“I’m… room… over.”

“You’re in a room?”

“For goodness sake, Myungsoo,” Sungyeol sighs. “He’s locked inside one of the rooms.”

“Oh,” Myungsoo says to Sungyeol. He clicks the walkie talkie button again. “What’s the room number? Over.”

“Roo… four… nine…”

“Room forty nine? Over.”

“SIX… nine…”

“Room sixty nine? Hah. Over.”

“Six four ni-”

“Got it Hoya, we’ll be there in a few minutes, over,” Sunggyu says into the walkie talkie. 

~

Hoya paces around the room as he waits for the others to come unlock the door for him. This is honestly ridiculous. What bedroom door locks from the outside? Of all things…

As he’s walking around, he sees how old the house really is - the peeling wallpaper, the run down wooden headboard on the bed, the dusty lampshade, and the discolored picture frames hanging up on the wall. He wonders when this house was made. Seems like it was around the 1940s, but he doesn’t know for sure. 

As he walks around the room, he looks at the intricate detailing of the rug and the small crystal chandelier hanging from the middle of the room. It’d be pretty sweet spending the night in this room, he thinks. Maybe if it wasn’t haunted, he’d book this out as a hotel room. 

Then the door handle starts rattling, and for a second, Hoya gets scared, but then thinks it must be the others who came to unlock the door. He stands behind the door, waiting for them to unlock it, until the rattling stops. 

Confused, Hoya knocks on the door. “Hey! I’m still in here! Can you unlock the door now?”

Nothing. No sound, no click of the door unlocking or anything. Honestly, how hard can it be to do something this simple? 

He tries to open the door again, and it’s still not budging. “Very funny, guys. Open the door.”

Hoya is starting to get antsy. What is going on. Why can’t they open the door, it’s not that hard. 

A minute later, he hears shuffling behind the door, and finally it unlocks. Woohyun is there, along with the others, panting. 

“What took you so long?” Hoya scoffs, crossing his arms. 

“What are you talking about? We had to run up six floors. We just got here,” Myungsoo says, trying to catch his breath. 

“You didn’t rattle the door handle or anything?”

“Why would we? The lock is like, right there,” Woohyun pants. 

“Uh… okay,” Hoya says, uncrossing his arms. That was… weird. 

“But wait, where’s Sungjong and Dongwoo?”

Oh, right. Hoya had forgotten about that. 

~

Sungjong and Dongwoo end up back in the room they originally came to set up their sleeping bags. Sungjong is still in shock from what got caught on camera, and Dongwoo is trying really, really hard not to panic. 

“Dongwoo, did you see that, too?” Sungjong says, his voice barely above a whisper. 

“Yeah,” he breathes out.

“Okay,” Sungjong nods, slowly, as if he doesn’t know what to do. 

“Can we seriously leave now,” Dongwoo pleads.

“Let’s wait until the others come back, and we’ll see,” Sungjong says, focusing on Dongwoo. Maybe it’s not wise of them to spend the entire night here. 

“Okay.”

~

Once they’re all back together, Sungjong shows them the footage they got from the hallway, and they all agree it’s time to get out of there. They’re the only ones there who are spending the night, and there’s no way they’re sticking around to sleep with ghosts walking around. 

Sungyeol is kind of disappointed that he didn’t get to see the ghost, but he’s also somewhat relieved because he doesn’t know if he can even recover from seeing a ghost. 

It was fun while it lasted, though, and Sungyeol can pretty much tell some wild stories about this on his social media so that everyone can see. 

Soon enough, they’re all packed and ready to go. Sungyeol starts the car and it roars to life, and they’re rolling down the roads again, back home, where the covers are nice and clean, and the room is warm and cozy. 

That’s the best part about these adventures: coming back home safe and sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where I get to thank everyone who's ever supported me in my life. In short, I was super motivated to write this month, and I am SO glad I did. It helped me feel more free in terms of writing.  
> (and now to get to the thank yous and the i love yous and the im crying at every comment yall give me because that's how i know im doing something right. so to those of you who commented, to those of you who made it to this final chapter, to those of you who stuck around while i was uploading the chapters, to those of you who stumble upon this series(?) one day out of the blue: thank you.)  
> Thank you for leaving your lovely comments, and a BIG thank you for simply taking the time to read this - it means so much to me. When I told myself that I would upload every day, I knew it would be a challenge esp with school getting in the way but I just learned to write whatever I wanted and it was so nice. I want this to be a reminder to future me (and to anyone who is reading this) to keep writing. For me, writing gives me a voice, and when other people read my writing, it makes me so happy.  
> Anyways, thanks for sticking around, and I hope you have a happy and safe Halloween!!!!! < 3


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